Category Medievalism

Since seeing Star Wars, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, I can’t stop thinking about the books we see in the Jedi library on Ahch-To. To be honest, my mind was already going before seeing the movie, since the books stood out in the trailer. I wrote about them over on Forces of Geek based on what we see […]

This post is meant as a follow-up to my previous thoughts about medievalists telling medieval stories. In that piece, I begin by considering a video game and end with reflections on the larger implications for storytelling about the Middle Ages. After writing it, I got to thinking about other medieval video games, so decided to […]

Some of my readers might have seen when I took to Twitter yesterday for a rant about representations of the medieval period in pop culture. It began with a video game and ended with some arguments about needing more medievalists telling better stories for more audiences. I want to offer an extended version of my […]

Commemorating events that occurred #OnThisDay (or #OTD) in history has become increasingly popular on social media. This practice can also bring appropriate reminders of how that past intersects with our present. Historical events that occurred around the week of July 18th are particularly linked with acts of violence against Jewish people throughout history. Of course, […]

This week we’ll witness the release of yet another movie about perhaps the most famous ruler from the medieval period, King Arthur. The film, directed by Guy Ritchie, is titled King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. From what is shown in the trailer, the story depicts the rise of Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) from nobody orphan to leader of the people pitted against tyrannical […]

This week, one of the most highly anticipated pop culture events hit theaters everywhere: Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens. I saw the film as early as I could, and have a lot to say about it. Most specifically, as a medievalist, I was struck by a certain amount of medievalism built into this movie. I’m […]